Rotor brake



C. E. TACK EI'AL Sept. 8, 1959 ROTOR BRAKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept.17, 1954 VENTORS. E J

RYILCZYL 651% @Wflf/MW C. E. TACK EI'AL Sept. 8, 1 959 ROTOR BRAKE 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 17, 1954 INVENTORS. M 91 gzzlimif WLMZ fW Sept. 8, 1959 Filed Sept. 17, 1954 E. TACK EI'AL ROTOR BRAKE 4 Sheets-Sheet3 P 1959 c. E. TACK EI'AL 2,903,095

ROTOR BRAKE Filed Sept. 17, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States PatentROTOR BRAKE Application September 17, 1954, Serial No. 456,703

' 10 Claims. (Cl. 188-59) This invention relates to a brake arrangementfor a railway car truck and more particularly to one wherein anoff-wheel, or rotor brake, is employed.

One object of this invention it to provide an improved brake arrangementwith a more elficient linkage system interconnecting a power source andbrake applying shoes. Additionally, this invention comprehends a novellinkage that will permit the use of either a single or a duplex powercylinder.

Another specific object of this invention is to provide an arrangementwherein a power cylinder is disposed adjacent the friction rotor withits operating axis parallel to the horizontal axis of the wheel and axleassembly, and approximately perpendicular to the surfaces of the brakerotor.

A further specific object is to provide an arrangement wherein both theaction and the reaction of a single acting power cylinder are employedto actuate the brake heads.

Another specific object is to utilize the novel power linkage inconnection with a hand brake arrangement.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from anexamination of the following specifi cation and the attached drawings,wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view of a railway car truck embodyingthe invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the structure taken alongline 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational sectional view taken along line 44of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of one quadrant of a railway cartruck embodying a modification of the invention;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the structure shown inFigure 5 and taken from the right side thereof;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 7-7 of Figure5 to illustrate the mounting arrangement only;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary partially sectional view of the structuretaken along line 8-8 of Figure 5.

Describing the invention in detail, a truck frame 10, as seen in Figure1, comprises end rails 12, 12, side rails 14, 14 (one of which is notshown) and transoms 16, 16. The frame may be spring supported(conventional support structure not shown) by wheel and axle assemblies18, 18. A rotor or disk 20 is preferably rigidly secured to eachassembly to rotate therewith.

Mounted in a horizontal position on the side of each transom 16 adjacentthe respective wheel and axle assembly is a bracket 22. Mounted on saidbracket and disposed approximately adjacent the rotor are two pairs ofvertically spaced lugs 24 and 26 spaced from each other, the outboardpair being designated at 24 and the other pair being designated at 26.Pivotally carried by the respective pairs of lugs 24 and 26 are brakelinks or arms 28 and 30.

Brake head assemblies 32, 32 are carried at the other ends of the brakelinks and said brake head assemblies are disposed on opposed sides ofthe rotor 20 in such a position as to be engageable therewith. Each ofthe said brake head assemblies includes a brake head 34, a brake headlug 36, a brake head pivot 38, and a brake shoe 40.

Also mounted on bracket 22, spaced inboardly of the lugs 25, is a thirdpair of vertically spaced lugs designated 42. Pivotally carried by saidpair of lugs is support arm or link 44 which movably carries at theother end thereof, a single acting power cylinder 46, said arm havingpivotal connection 48 with said cylinder at cylinder lug 50. Thecylinder has a piston 52 at the other end thereof and a truck connectionbetween the piston and the inboard brake head assembly lug 36, at pivot38, said pivot also being common to brake link 30. A pull arm 47 isconnected at one end thereof to one side of the cylinder and at theother end thereof to the outboard brake head assembly lug 36 at pivot38, said pivot also being common to brake link 28. Additionally, a handbrake arrangement is employed, said hand brake arrangement comprisinghand brake arms 54 and 56, the ends of the respective arms which areadjacent the wheel and axle assembly are interconnected by pivot 58. Theother end of the arm 54 is connected to brake link 30, piston 52 and theinboard brake assembly lug 36 at pivot 38, and the other end of brakearm 56 is connected to cylinder lug 50 and support arm 44 by pivot 48.Two pairs of pulley guides 60 are mounted on the top surface of transom1-5. A cable 62 connected at one end thereof to hand brake arms 54 and56 at pivot 58 and passing around and through pulley guides 60 isconnected at the other end thereof to spindle 64, said spindle beingmounted above the truck and associated with conventional manualactuating mechanism.

Attention is now directed to Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8, wherein isillustrated a modified embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment,the wheel and axle assemblies 18, 18 (only one of which is shown, theother being similar), the frame 10, the transom 16 and the rotor 20 aresubstantially identical with those of the previous embodiment; these andother identical features being indicated by the numerals employed in theprevious embodiment.

Mounted in a horizontal position on the side of each transom 16 (onlyone transom being shown in Figure 5) adjacent the Wheel and axleassembly is a bracket 122. Mounted on said bracket and disposedapproximately adjacent the rotor 28 are two pairs of vertically spacedlugs 124 and 126 spaced from each other. The outboard pair may bedesignated 124 and inboard pair 126. Pivot ally carried by the lugs 124and 126, respectively, are brake links 128 and 130. Brake headassemblies 132, 132 are carried by the brake links at the opposite endsthereof, and said assemblies are disposed on opposed sides of the rotor26 in such a position as to be engageable therewith. Each of the saidbrake head assemblies include a brake head 134, a brake head lug 136, abrake head pivot 138 and a brake shoe 140. Spaced inboardly from thebracket 122 and cast integrally with the side of the transom 16 adjacentthe wheel and axle assembly is a cylinder bracket 166 having verticallyspaced arms and an opening between said arms. Within the opening anddisposed on the adjacent surfaces of said arms are guides 168(constructed of conventional bearing material) between which passes pullarm 147.

Mounted to said bracket 166 is a duplex power cylinder 146 having ateach end thereof cylinder pistons 152, 152. The outboard piston 152 ofsaid cylinder is directly connected to the adjacent inboard brake headassembly lug 136 at pivot 138, said pivotal connection also being commonto the inboard brake link 130. The inboard piston -2 is connected to oneend of a pull arm 147, the other end of said arm being pivotallyconnected to the outboard brake head assembly lug 136 at pivot 138,.said pivotal connection also being common to outboard brake link 128.Additionally, the embodiment comprises a hand brake arrangementidentical with that described in the previous embodiment and illustratedin Figure 1.

To briefly describe the operation of the first embodiment, it will benoted that as the piston 52 of cylinder 46 moves, it carries inboardbrake head assembly 32 in an outboard direction to a position ofengagement with the rotor 20. Almost simultaneous with this action ofthe piston in an outboard direction occurs the reaction of the cylinderitself in an inboard direction. As the cylinder moves inboardly, itcarries pull arm 47 which, in turn, pulls outboard brake head assembly32 in an inboard direction to a position of engagement with the rotor20.

In the operation of the second embodiment of the invention, the actionis almost the same as that described above. The difference being that inthe second embodiment, the cylinder is secured to the frame and its twopistons 152 moving in opposite directions move the respective brake headassemblies. The outboard piston pushing the inboard assembly against therotor, and the inboard piston, actuating the pull arm, which in turnpulls the outboard assembly against the rotors.

In both embodiments the operations of the hand brake mechanisms are thesame.

As the spindle 64 is actuated by outside means (as illustrated in Figure1), the cable is pulled and in turn pulls the ends of the hand brakearms 54 and 56 causing them to pivot about pivot, 58, so that the otherends of the hand brake arms move associated brake links which carry therespective brake head assemblies into positions of engagement with therotor in the same manner that the brake links are actuated by the powercylinder.

- We claim:

1. In a railway car truck, a wheel and axle assembly, a frame supportedthereby, a friction rotor rigidly secured to said assembly and rotatabletherewith, a combination power and manual brake arrangement; said powerarrangement comprising brake head assemblies associated with andadjacent to opposite sides of said rotor, brake links movably carried bysaid frame and supporting said assemblies, a power cylinder rigidlysecured to the frame and having its operating axis parallel to thehorizontal axis of said wheel and axle assembly and intersecting saidbrake head assemblies, said cylinder comprising pistons and relatedpiston rods, linkage means operatively connecting the cylinder to saidbrake links, said linkage means comprising a direct pivotal connectionbetween one of said brake links and one of the piston rods, and a pullarm pivotally interconnecting another of said piston rods to another ofsaid brake links; said manual brake arrangement comprising a pair ofhand brake arms, each of said arms having one end thereof pivotallyconnected to a related piston rod, a common pivotal connectioninterconnecting the other ends of said arms, a pulley cable connected tosaid arms at said common pivotal connection, pulley guides disposed onthe frame around or through which said cable is directed, and a pulleyspindle to which said cables are attached.

2. In a truck arrangement, a wheel and axle assembly, a frame supportedthereby, a friction member having friction surfaces on opposed sidesthereof said friction member being afiixed to said assembly androtatable therewith, brake head assemblies disposed on either side ofsaid friction member and engageable therewith, brakelinks pivotallymounted on said frame and carrying said assemblies, a power cylindercarried by said frame,

said cylinder being disposed adjacent to and inboardly of said frictionmember, said cylinder having its operating axis approximatelyperpendicular to the friction surfaces of said member, said cylinderhaving portions thereof movable parallel to said perpendiculardirection, a common pivotal connection interconnecting one of saidportions, an adjoining brake head assembly, and a related brake link, apull arm operatively connected at one end thereof to another of saidcylinder portions, said pull arm having at the other end thereof apivotal connection with another of said brake head assemblies and arelated brake link and handbrake means said means comprising hand brakearms having corresponding ends directly pivotally secured to saidportions, said arms having their other ends pivotally interconnected, acable connected to said arms at said pivotal interconnection, pulleyguides disposed on the frame, and a pulley spindle secured to saidcable.

3. In a brake arrangement, a wheel and axle assembly, a frame supportedthereby, a brake rotor having friction surfaces on opposite sidesthereof, brake shoe assemblies disposed adjacent to and engageable withsaid friction surfaces, brake links pivotally carried by said frame andsupporting said shoe assemblies, a power cylinder carried by said frame,said power cylinder being disposed between said frame and wheel and axleassembly and inboardly of said rotor, said cylinder having its operatingaxis parallel to the horizontal axis of said wheel and axle assembly andin horizontal alignment with the brake shoe assemblies, said cylindercomprising members movable toward and away from said rotor, linkageconnecting said cylinder to the related shoe assemblies and links, saidlinkage comprising a pivotal connection connecting a movable member ofthe cylinder and an adjacent shoe assembly, a pull arm operativelyinterconnecting another cylinder member and the remote shoe assembly,and a hand brake system comprising two hand brake arms, one of said armshaving one end thereof pivotally connected to one of said movablemembers, the other of said arms having a corresponding end operativelyconnected to said pull arm, said arms having their correspondingopposite ends joined at a common scissor-like connection, a cableconnected to said connection, pulley guides disposed on said frame, anda pulley spindle to which the ends of said cables are connected.

4. In a brake arrangement for a wheel and axle assembly, a framesupported thereby, a friction member having friction surfaces onopposite sides thereof, said member being affixed to said assembly androtatable therewith, brake head assemblies disposed on either side ofsaid member and 'engageable therewith, brake links pivotally secured tosaid frame and carrying said assemblies, a power cylinder having apiston and piston rod, said cylinder being carried by the frame adjacentto and inboardly of said member, said cylinder having its operating axisperpendicular to the friction surfaces of said member, a direct pivotalconnection connecting said piston rod to one of said brake headassemblies, and its related brake link, a pull arm having at one endthereof a direct pivotal connection to the power cylinder, said pull armhaving at the other end thereof a direct connection with the other brakehead assembly and its related brake link.

5. In a railway car truck brake arrangement, a wheel and axle assembly,a frame supported thereby, a brake rotor having friction surfaces onopposite sides, said rotor being rigidly secured to and rotatable withsaid assembly, brake shoe assemblies disposed on opposite sides of saidrotor and engageable with said surfaces, brake links pivotally carriedby said frame and supporting said shoe assemblies, a power cylindersecured to the frame inboardly of said rotor, said power cylindercomprising a pair of pistons and piston rods, movable toward and awayfrom said rotor, said cylinder being disposed with its longitudinaloperational axis parallel to the horizontal axis of said wheel and axleassembly and in approximately perpendicular alignment with the frictionsurfaces of said rotor, and cooperative linkage connecting the powercylinder to the brake links, said linkage comprising a pivotalconnection connecting the inboard brake link, the related brake shoe andan adjacent piston rod, and a floating pull arm directly connected atone end to the outboard brake link and its related brake shoe assembly,said pull arm being pivotally connected at its other end to its adjacentpiston rod.

6. In a brake arrangement, a 'wheel and axle assembly, a frame supportedthereby, a brake rotor having friction surfaces on opposite sidesthereof, said rotor being secured to said assembly and rotatabletherewith, friction shoe assemblies engageable with said frictionsurfaces, brake links movably mounted on said frame and carrying relatedshoe assemblies, a power cylinder rigidly secured to the frame inboardlyof said rotor, said cylinder having pistons and piston rods, thelongitudinal axes of the rods being disposed perpendicular to thefriction surfaces of the rotor, said axes intersecting said shoeassemblies, a release spring assembly Within said cylinder for reversingthe operating action of said pistons and their related rods, a pull armhaving its opposite ends directly connected to one of said piston rodsand one of said shoe assemblies, and a movable connection connectinganother of said piston rods and another of said shoe assemblies.

7. In a brake arrangement, a wheel and axle assembly, a frame supportedthereby, a brake rotor secured to said assembly and rotatable therewith,brake shoe assemblies associated with said rotor on opposite sidesthereof, brake links movably mounted to said frame and carrying saidshoe assemblies, a power cylinder movably carried by said frame anddisposed inboardly of said rotor, said cylinder having a piston and arod, said rod extending towards said rotor, said cylinder having itsoperating axis parallel to the horizontal axis of the wheel and axleassembly, and linkage means connecting the cylinder to the shoeassemblies, said means comprising a pivotal connection at the end of therod directly connecting the rod and the inboard shoe assembly, and apull arm having one end thereof rigidly connected to the cylinder, theother end of said pull arm being directly pivotally connected to theoutboard shoe assembly.

8. In a railway car truck brake arrangement, a wheel and axle assembly,a frame supported thereby, a friction rotor aflixed to said assembly androtatable therewith, brake shoe assemblies on either side of said rotor,brake links carried by said frame and supporting said brake shoeassemblies, a duplex power cylinder assembly, said power cylinderassembly comprising dual pistons and rods, said cylinder assembly havingits operating axis parallel to the horizontal axis of said wheel andaxle assembly, said operating axis intersecting said shoe assemblies,and linkage means interconnecting said cylinder and said shoeassemblies, said means comprising a movable connection connecting onepower cylinder piston rod and an adjacent brake shoe assembly and itsrelated brake link, and a pull arm having one end directly connected toanother piston rod and movable therewith, the other end of said pull armbeing directly connected to the remote brake head assembly and itsrelated brake link for actuation thereof.

9. In a brake arrangement for a railway car truck, a friction member,movable friction means disposed on opposite sides of said member andarranged to clasp said member, power means, an operative connectionconnecting the power means and one of said friction means, an arm, adirect connection connecting one end of said arm to said power means,another direct connection connecting the other end of said arm to saidother friction means, said arm being arranged to urge its relatedfriction means to engage said member in response to the engagement ofthe first mentioned friction means with the member, said first mentionedfriction means being engageable with the member in response to theaction of the power means.

10. A brake arrangement according to claim 8, and additionallycomprising a hand brake assembly, said assembly comprising arms eachpivotally secured to one of said piston rods, a common movableconnection interconnecting said arms, a cable means connected to saidarms at said movable connection, pulley guides disposed on the framethrough which the cable means pass, and a pulley spindle secured to saidcable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,434,678 Chandeson Nov. 7, 1922 1,779,776 Masion Oct. 28, 19302,214,762 Eksergian Sept. 17, 1940 2,273,634 Frede Feb. 17, 19422,274,859 Eksergian Mar. 3, 1942 2,357,263 Ledwinka Aug. 29, 19442,447,244 Gaenssle Aug. 17, 1948 2,488,845 Baselt Nov. 22, 19492,667,946 Helsten Feb. 2, 1954

